<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/45914153.cms" /> 
 <keyword id="183329" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Leela-Samson">Leela Samson</keyword>, the danseuse of Bharatnatyam, who until now served as the chief of Censor Board has resigned from her post, quoting "interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers" as the reasons. 
 Another person to put her papers down is <keyword id="205953" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ira-Bhaskar">Ira Bhaskar</keyword>, who served as a board member of Central Board of Film Certification (<keyword id="238857" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CBFC">CBFC</keyword>), the censorship and classification body run by the Union Information &amp; Broadcasting Ministry. 
 
Although Ms. Samson's term for three years had officially ended in April 2014, she was serving the post until further allotment of the post by the newly framed government. Likewise, all the board members including Ms. Bhaskar were continuing till further notice. 
 
As per reports, Ms Bhaskar had discussed resignation earlier as well, but held on because of no proper order in the censor board. She also went on to say that in the past one year, there was no official meeting by the members of the board despite the rule of a quarterly meeting by all members. 
 
The whole ruckus has been amidst the controversy over the denial of release of the movie MSG – The Messenger of God, which features Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the lead role. The movie was granted approval overnight by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), which is the body one approaches after being denied approval for release by CBFC. 
 
With two veterans putting their papers down, the road ahead is certainly not smooth for the censor board, where corruption seems to be a major issue. However, I&amp;B minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has asked for proofs from Ms Samson regarding her claims of corruption in the ministry. Let's see how things roll from here on. 
 
Picture by <a href="http://pib.nic.in/photo//2012/Mar/l2012030739624.jpg">PIB</a>

Leela Samson, Ira Bhaskar Resign From CBFC; Blame Corruption In Ministry

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ad4baa8146e7122008b469c-1999/101a0739.jpg" border="0" alt="sacred games" data-mce-source="Netflix" />Netflix</div></div></div><ul><li>Netflix's first original series from India, "Sacred Games," is facing legal heat.</li><li>A petition has been filed in Delhi High Court for Netflix to delete any scenes that reference India's former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.</li><li>One scene in the show depicts a cop calling Gandhi "fattu," which is translated to "p----" in the subtitles.</li><li>According to Time, Netflix is in the process of replacing the word with "wimp" in the subtitles.</li><li>Another police complaint against the show was filed, but dropped after Rahul Gandhi, son of Rajiv and leader of the Congress party, defended freedom of expression.</li></ul><hr /> Netflix wants to be huge in India, but its first Indian original series, "Sacred Games," is facing legal heat. The show centers on a Sikh cop in the Mumbai police force named Sartaj Singh (played by the Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan), and a mysterious Mumbai criminal, Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). At the start of the series, Gaitonde calls Singh to tell him of an attack on the city set to take place in 25 days. The series has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sacred-games-first-netflix-original-from-india-reviews-rotten-tomatoes-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised by critics</a> since its release on July 6 and has an 88% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.But the show has also been the <a href="http://time.com/5339495/sacred-games-netflix-india-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subject of controversy</a> surrounding scenes referencing former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1991. (Gandhi's son, Rahul Gandhi, is the current leader of India's Congress political party.) Because the show streams online, it is not censored by India's Censor Board.In one scene in the show, Siddiqui's character calls Gandhi "fattu," which is translated in subtitles as "p----."According to Time, Netflix is in the process of replacing the word "p----" with "wimp" in the subtitles after a member of the Congress party's legal team filed a petition in the Delhi High Court for Netflix to delete any scenes that reference Rajiv Gandhi. A Congress party member, Rajeev Kumar Sinha, had previously <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/complaint-against-nawazuddin-for-abusing-rajiv-gandhi-on-netflix-show-sacred-games-1880837" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a police complaint</a> July 10 against Siddiqui and Netflix for insulting the former Prime Minister and "misrepresenting facts during his regime." "The use of abusive language is not justified," Sinha told <a href="http://time.com/5339495/sacred-games-netflix-india-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time</a>. "I don't think we can go back into history and abuse people this way."But after Rahul Gandhi released a statement about the show, CNN-News18, an Indian news outlet, reported that Sinha <a href="https://youtu.be/cPYGJksJlBk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrew his complaint</a> about "Sacred Games." Gandhi <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1018123203728822272" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> on July 14 "I believe [freedom of expression] is a fundamental democratic right. My father lived and died in the service of India. The views of a character on a fictional web series can never change that." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/miz-cracker-drag-queen-makeup-tutorial-ru-paul-drag-race-2018-6">Miz Cracker from 'RuPaul's Drag Race' shows her drag queen makeup routine</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/2Gj3zwMX-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

'Sacred Games,' Netflix's first original TV series from India, faces legal heat for unflattering reference to assassinated Prime Minister

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50816699.cms" /> 
 <keyword id="6367269" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="aligarh">Aligarh</keyword>, the upcoming movie based on the life, and death, of <keyword id="44216" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aligarh-Muslim-University">Aligarh Muslim University</keyword> professor <keyword id="3228864" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dr-Shrinivas-Ramchandra-Siras">Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras</keyword>, has been in news recently over the director <keyword id="4684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hansal-Mehta">Hansal Mehta</keyword> expressing disappointment over the A rating that the censor board has given to the movie.

	However, censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani has termed this as a cheap way to promote the movie, saying that a movie based on homosexuality was bound to be given an Adult rating.

	Talking about the movie, it gives us a glimpse of the life of Dr. Siras, who was suspended from his job as a professor of Marathi at AMU, because of his sexual orientation.
 After winning the case against the University, Siras died in suspicious circumstances. While a National Award winning actor <keyword id="15439" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manoj-Bajpai">Manoj Bajpai</keyword> plays the role of Siras, another national award winning actor <keyword id="1946388" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajkummar-Rao">Rajkummar Rao</keyword> plays a journalist who takes it upon himself to bring the case into the eyes of everyone.

	Talking of Dr. Siras, the Marathi Doctorate became a professor at AMU in 1998. Married for almost 20 years, Siras ended up getting divorced after a long separation.

	It was in 2010 that two men forced their way into Siras' house and caught him having consensual sex with another man, a rickshaw puller. After this, he was suspended by AMU, which claimed "gross misconduct'' on his part. He filed a case in the Allahabad High Court on 1 April 2010, which he went on to win because of the involvement of students in the case, and the fact that homosexuality was not a crime in India back then. 
	 
	<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50816719.cms" style="font-family: Georgia, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />

	However, on 7 April 2010, Siras died suspiciously in his apartment, a day before he was to get the official letter to revoke his suspension and get back his job.

	Prima facia, the case was thought to be that of a suicide, but post-mortem reports showed some traces of poison in his body, because of which six people were arrested, and three journalists and four AMU officials were thought to be behind the crime.

	However, lack of evidence forced the police to shut down the case.

	The plot looks interesting enough for a Bollywood movie, and the acting caliber of both Bajpai and Rao make it a must watch. The movie has been screened at various international film festivals, winning accolades all over.

	Adult rating or not, the movie proves the fact that Indian cinema is finally changing, and this time, for good.

	Catch the trailer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JezwsQKpXuU">here</a>. 
	 
	<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sdDafE2WSF4/S75TQr28UaI/AAAAAAAAASg/_PAR0oeWyiE/s1600/siras1.jpg">Image source</a>

Aligarh: The story of life and death of Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52689398.cms" />When Indian censor board chief <keyword id="15361" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pahlaj-Nihalani">Pahlaj Nihalani</keyword> accused Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap of taking money from the Aam Aadmi Party (<keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword>) for making <keyword id="6356850" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Udta-Punjab">Udta Punjab</keyword> to show the State in bad light, he must have not realised it would boomerang. 
 
The whole controversy surrounding Bollywood movie Udta Punjab, starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh, has knowingly or unknowingly worked in the favour of the AAP. 
 
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, “It is a joke that Nihalani thinks AAP will give Anurag Kashyap money to make a film just to show BJP-SAD in a bad light. One need not go that far. It is all out in the open anyway. Drug abuse in Punjab is a harsh reality, and we are not supporting Kashyap here so much as we are backing the issue.” 
 
The accusations made by the censor board chief, which were rubbished by Anurag Kashyap, has given political plank to AAP for Punjab assembly elections in 2017-Drug menace. 
 
It is likely that AAP will give voice to the undertones of Punjab, who want to get rid of the menace, which has consumed many lives, taking away sole breadwinners from the families. 
 
AAP had surprised everyone in 2014 Lok Sabha polls by winning four seats in the lower house, and they were from Punjab. 
 
Since then, AAP has been making all efforts to cement its position in Punjab and derail SAD-BJP alliance. 
 
However, this is not the first time the AAP attacked the state government. In previous instances too, AAP leaders have openly accused Punjab Cabinet Ministers of being ‘drug lords’. 
 
“In the past, Sukhbir Badal has denied any drug menace in Punjab and his Cabinet Minister Surjit Jiyani has ruled out even a single drug-addict in the state, but on the other hand, Chief Minister Parkash Badal announced the opening of the country’s first Women Rehab Centre for de-addiction in the state,” AAP MP Bhagwant Mann had said. 
 
He also alleged that Punjab Cabinet Minister Bikramjit Majithia was a drug lord. 
 
Then, Majithia had filed a defamation case against the AAP leaders, including chief Arvind Kejriwal. 
 
In response to the defamation case, Bhagwant Mann said, “Badals should visit Maqbool Pura of Amritsar and Sur Singh village of Tarn Taran to assess how drugs ruined several families.” 
 
He has spoken the truth. 
 
The situation in Maqboolpura is very grim, as the village is now known as the ‘village of widows’. Families residing in the village say there is hardly any male member who is not affected by the drug menace and most of them have died. 
 
A study by Social Security Development of Women and Children department stated that 67 percent households in Punjab have at least one person addicted to drugs. The Narcotics Bureau stated that nearly 40 percent men in Punjab are hooked to drugs. 
 
Well, Kejriwal could gain ground in Punjab, dismantling the Punjab government. Only time will tell.

Pahlaj Nihalani has ‘officially’ sounded the Punjab Assembly 2017 elections’ bugle

<ul><li>The stand-in finance minister <keyword id="6355222" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="piyush-goyal">Piyush Goyal</keyword> took time in the middle of his speech to praise a recent blockbuster, <keyword id="71431" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uri">Uri</keyword>. </li><li> “Single window clearance for ease of shooting films, available only to foreigners, is now going to be made available to Indian filmmakers as well,” Goyal said. </li><li>Modi government’s affair with Bollywood is a recent phenomenon. </li></ul>Budget 2019 had, possibly, the maximum reference to Indian showbiz of all the finance bills presented in the country’s history. To start with, the stand-in finance minister Piyush Goyal took time in the middle of his speech to praise a recent blockbuster, Uri, which glorified the Narendra Modi government’s decision to conduct ‘surgical strikes’ into Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. He then went on to solicit Bollywood’s love with a change in rule, which should not have been there in the first place. “Single window clearance for ease of shooting films, available only to foreigners, is now going to be made available to Indian filmmakers as well,” Goyal said. And that was not all. He also said that “regulatory provisions will rely more 14 on self-declaration. We will also introduce anti-camcording provisions in the Cinematograph Act to control the menace of piracy.” Goyal also highlighted how the government pushed for a lower tax on cinema tickets through the GST (goods and services tax) Council. Let’s look at how the relationship has evolved in the last four and a half years. It’s showtime Modi government’s affair with Bollywood is a recent phenomenon. In fact, in the first three years of the regime, the government’s relationship with the film industry was rather tenuous. One of the government’s appointees, the former chairman of the film certification board, the CBFC, Pahlaj Nihalani was a big thorn in the flesh for the country’s film industry. He infamously took the moral high ground and censored multiple films, most famously Anurag Kashyap’s Udta Punjab. Even after the Bombay High Court <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/udta-punjab-latest-dveelopment-cbfc-bombay-high-court-verdict-censor-board-13840-2016-06-13">struck down</a> the CBFC demand for cuts in the film, Nihalani <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/06/14/pahlaj-nihalani_n_10451088.html">said</a> , “the door for films with obscene and vulgar content.” Despite the fans’ anger and the industry’s anguish, he remained the chief of the ‘censor board’, as CBFC is colloquially known in India, for 2 years, while <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP-l_JY2Vng">he intermittently flattered the </a>government and the prime minister. Not just the working professionals in Bollywood, the government faced a severe backlash from the students of cinema too. In 2017, Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment as the chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), triggered <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-problem-with-gajendra-chauhan/">a huge uproar</a>. Students <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/ftii-students-call-off-hunger-strike-to-attend-classes-wont-engage-with-govt/">went on a protest</a>, that even turned violent for a bit, saying Chauhan was qualified to lead a reputed institution like the FTII. The students, who alleged that Chauhan’s appointment was a political move and not based on merit, found vindication when Chauhan <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/im-a-bjp-soldier-will-do-whatever-is-assigned-gajendra-chauhan-4553227/">said</a>, “I am a BJP soldier and I will do whatever is assigned any duty assigned to me.” However, things turned for the better in 2018. Firstly, the new CBFC chief, the accomplished writer and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, has cannily handled the two divergent groups-- the government and the film industry. Secondly, some members of the film industry also served the government well. Two films released towards the end of 2018 were just what prime minister wanted, months before seeking re-election. The first film, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/accidental-prime-minister-is-at-the-epicenter-of-a-massive-political-controversy-in-india-just-with-its-trailer-launch/articleshow/67286606.cms">The Accidental Prime Minister</a>, was based on a revelatory book about all the corruption scandals of the previous government led by the Congress. It was the country’s first biopic made on a living prime minister, and showed the Manmohan Singh administration in poor light, and deservedly so, as many would argue. However, that government was voted out in 2014. The other movie of 2018, which helped the cause of the Narendra Modi government, was the slick story of border conflict, Uri. <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/budget-2019-piyush-goyal-all-praise-for-uri-in-parliament-says-the-josh-was-unmatched/articleshow/67789368.cms">The movie was a hit</a>,and it allowed the government to revive nationalistic sentiments that are directly proportional to the amount of hate for Pakistan. A little gratitude for pliable filmmakers was probably in order. Who knows, others may fall in line too. See also : <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2019-live-updates/liveblog/67784324.cms">Budget 2019 Highlights and News Live: Proposal: no tax on income up to ₹5 lakhs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/explainer-the-modi-governments-pension-scheme-for-informal-workers/articleshow/67790926.cms">Explained: The Modi government’s pension scheme for informal workers</a>

Modi government’s new found love for Indian Cinema

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52777492.cms" />The Supreme Court of India refused to stay release on Bollywood movie <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=udta+punjab&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Udta Punjab</a>, while hearing a petition filed by a Punjab-based NGO. 
 The NGO- Human Rights Awareness Association-had moved the Apex Court to halt the screening of <keyword id="6356850" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Udta-Punjab">Udta Punjab</keyword>, which addresses drug menace issue in the State. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/See-how-drugs-are-smuggled-into-Punjab-from-Pakistan-and-what-is-the-reality-of-its-destruction-in-the-State/articleshow/52686791.cms">See how drugs are smuggled into Punjab from Pakistan and what is the reality of its destruction in the State</a> 
 
The vacation bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and L. Nageswara Rao has asked the NGO to approach Punjab &amp; Haryana High Court. 
 
Udta Punjab, starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh, was mired in controversy after the censor board has asked for 13 cuts and issued an A-certificate. 
 
Then, Udta Punjab’s makers including director Anurag Kashyap had approached Bombay High Court, which directed for movie’s release with just one cut and ‘A’ certificate. 
 
The NGO then moved the Supreme Court saying that Bombay High Court cannot rule on what cuts can be made in a film, adding the film depicted Punjab in a negative vein. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Udta-Punjab-will-be-released-with-just-ONE-cut-and-A-certificate/articleshow/52728825.cms">Udta Punjab will be released with just ONE cut and A-certificate</a> 
 
Meanwhile, there were reports that the unedited version of Udta Punjab were released online and the cyber cell is looking into the issue. 
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, in a tweet, asked for support to free speech and not opt for pirates and piracy win. 
 
The film is slated for release on June 17.

Supreme Court clears release of Udta Punjab

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53083224.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 After <keyword id="7929" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anurag-Kashyap">Anurag Kashyap</keyword>'s '<keyword id="6356850" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Udta-Punjab">Udta Punjab</keyword>' was leaked last month, piracy organisations have allegedly leaked the most awaited movie of the year, Salman Khan-Anushka Sharma-starrer '<keyword id="6355056" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sultan">Sultan</keyword>.' 
 
The 'Sultan' leak came just a day before the movie hits theatres in over 4500 screens across India. 
 
Confirming the news, cyber-crime expert, Deep Shankar was quoted in reports as saying that the copy of the movie is available on the darknet and will soon be available on torrent. Another crime investigator, Kishlay Chaudhary has reportedly claimed that the 2 hours 36 minute-long movie is available online and has also shared various screenshots of the same with media houses. He also said that many websites have been blocked since Tuesday and links have been removed immediately after upload. 
 
However, Yash Raj Films has denied any information about the leak. Some cyber experts also allege that there are no active links to the movie and that the trailer was morphed and circulated on social media platforms. 
 
This is the second film which has been leaked this week, the first one being Indra Kumar's 'Great Grand Masti' starring Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani, Riteish Deshmukh and Urvashi Rautela. 
 
The movie's Censor Board copy was leaked online three days ago. The film's management team is reportedly working hard to remove the links, and even tweets and Facebook links sharing the same are being taken down. The movie was leaked 17 days before its release and is reported to have faced monetary losses as a result. 
 
No formal complaints have been filed by the makers of either movie yet.

Salman Khan's Sultan may have been leaked online

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52689367.cms" /> The Bombay High Court, which is currently supervising the battle between the Central Board of Film Certification and the makers of upcoming film '<keyword id="6356850" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Udta-Punjab">Udta Punjab</keyword>', has asked <keyword id="238857" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CBFC">CBFC</keyword> the reasons why it sought for the deletion of words like 'Punjab', 'MLA', and 'election' from the movie, along with several other cuts from the movie depicting the drug issue in Punjab. 
 The court was hearing a petition that filmmaker <keyword id="7929" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anurag-Kashyap">Anurag Kashyap</keyword>'s <keyword id="1363315" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Phantom-Films">Phantom Films</keyword> filed, challenging the cuts that the censor board had ordered in the film. The division bench of Justice Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari and Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi told the CBFC that there is a fine line between creative freedom and the rules. 
 
"How can a signboard mentioning Punjab be against the sovereignty of the country?" judges asked the board, citing the first cut that the board had ordered in the film. "Are you saying this movie only depicts Punjab as drug capital? Has drug menace never been portrayed in films before this? 
 
The judges also went on to question CBFC about its order to delete words like 'MLA', 'election' and 'party' worker from the film title, reminding it of a movie titled Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avatar, which was passed without any objection. 
 
"Nobody will be allowed to abuse the right to creative freedom, but this is not the way to go about it. Delete this, delete that. What sort of lasting impression is being created about India that is being acknowledged globally? One should not attack the aggressive postures of the younger generation. This young generation is mature and its sensibilities may be different," the judges added. 
 
However, the judges said that they would not let anyone glamorize the use of drugs in the name of creative freedom. 
 
The court even added that the movie 'Go Goa Gone,' which showed Goa as a land of drugs, wine and women could release, why was the board hesitating in the use of the word 'Punjab' in 'Udta Punjab'. 
 
The CBFC counsels, in their defence, have told the court that the application was not submitted in the right format, which led to the delay in the objections raised in the film. The film is set to release on 17th June 2016. They even added that they demanded 89 cuts because there is abusive language throughout the film. 
 
<a href="http://cdn.bollywoodbubble.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Udta-Punjab-2.jpg">Image source</a>

HC slams CBFC over 'Udta Punjab' cuts, final order to be passed on Monday

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52687521.cms" />Hands that should be ploughing the fields, minds that should be busy in shaping the future of the country are busy injecting lethal cocktail of drugs, rolling up joints, sniffing it up, thereby damaging the brain irreparably. 
 
As you dig deeper, the drug menace in Punjab also gets dirtier, revealing shocking facts how the drugs enter the northern Indian state and how it is ruining the youth of the nation. 
 
Thanks to the controversy surrounding Bollywood movie Udta Punjab, which addresses the issue, and special thanks to censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani that the issue of drug menace is now being talked about everywhere. 
 
The severity of the drug problem can be gauged from the statistics that point out that 50 per cent of the drug-related cases in India are from Punjab alone. 
 
As per the Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey (PODS), about 76% opioid dependent individuals in Punjab are in the age group of 18 to 35 years. The worst affected regions are Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur and Tarn Taran. 
 
The most common opioid drug used by this group is heroin. Another village, which is on the outskirts of holy city of Amritsar, Maqboolpura has earned the sobriquet of ‘Village of Widows’ as almost every household here has lost breadwinners due to drugs. 
 
One of the main reasons behind this growing menace is Punjab’s proximity to the Golden Crescent- Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, which are known to be the world’s largest producers of opium. 
 
Meanwhile, the fight against drugs is not easy in Punjab. The number of drug de-addiction centres may be rising but there is no break in the supply chain. 
 
To further understand the story, a documentary-GLUT: The Untold Story of Punjab-is a must watch. 
 
The documentary by Smaran Sahu will reveal how deep-rooted is the issue and what are the challenges that the society is facing. 
 
The documentary also throws light on how youth staying near border areas, in the presence of security forces, get SIM cards, coordinate with peddlers and get the drug. 
 
It is just a matter of few hours and a person sitting in Delhi will get what he/she wants and there is no trail left. 
 
 
Watch the documentary here: 
 
 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gutYYa0nHd4" width="560"></iframe> 
(Video: YouTube)

See how drugs are smuggled into Punjab from Pakistan and what is the reality of its destruction in the State

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47898002.cms" /> In what would be marked as a red letter day for <keyword id="729067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="LGBTQ">LGBTQ</keyword> worldwide, the <keyword id="58853" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="US-Supreme-Court">US Supreme Court</keyword> legalised <keyword id="6464875" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="gay">gay</keyword> marriages all over country in a landmark judgement. From people coming out on the streets to people taking to social media to celebrate, it was made an example to be followed by the rest, especially with existence of controversial laws which criminalising LGBT rights and activities, and India is one of them. But the question that arises is, will India ever get there? <keyword id="15486" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Onir">Onir</keyword>, the award-winning Indian film director of movies like <keyword id="657459" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="My-brother-Nikhil">My Brother...Nikhil</keyword>, I Am, Bas Ek Pal, talks to Business Insider India about growing up gay in India. 
 

	What is your opinion on the US Supreme Court’s judgement legalising gay marriages and its impact in India?
 

	It comes at a time when in 2013 the Supreme Court of India took the opposite stand, turning down the Delhi High Court verdict. It signifies that we cannot ignore LGBTQ rights for long, as we are being the largest democracy in the world. India will not be a true democracy till all the citizens of the country (different minority communities, gender and sexuality) have equal rights. The act should go as it’s really long overdue.
 

	What pleasantly surprised me was when the US Supreme Court judgement was announced, many people put up rainbow flag as their profile picture on social network like Facebook. I have never seen this kind of reaction coming from everybody, irrespective of their sexuality preferences and gender. For the first time seeing so much support for human rights in this country is very encouraging and I hope the global phenomenon would also give a push to the change happening within our country.
 
 

	How is India as a place for LGBTQ community?
 

	I think that, traditionally, before the colonial British came in and brought in Section 377, Indian as a culture has been much more accepting. Like, if you look at our mythology, there has been a whole concept of Ardhanarishwar (that is, everyone is part male and part female at the same time).Even if you look at Kamasutra and at its different forms of sexuality, sexuality has been celebrated in this country. Unfortunately, because of the Victorian morals and the laws that the British brought in, we are still holding onto those laws. But I think as a civilisation, India has a culture of being more inclusive. We have accepted different forms of religion, caste, culture; it is such a homogeneous country. I think that spirit needs to be celebrated in terms of acceptance of sexuality also. 

	 
	 
	 
	How was your experience growing up gay in Indian society?

	 
	 
	I have been fortunate for being a part of a very encouraging family and friends but my identity is not just my sexuality. I have never faced problems within the family and my friends circle. I told about this to my sister when I was 19 years old. They love me for who I am and not on the basis of my sexuality. I gain all my strength because of their support. 
	 
	 

	Yes, it does not feel good to be in a country where your identity is by law criminalised, and that is something that hurts me the most. That is why I have always been vocal about LGBTQ rights. More than anything, it is human rights violation that is happening here. But having said that, it is also because of law and society the representation of the community in all aspects of life is scant. 

	For example my last film, I Am, which got the national award for the best film, was not telecasted by any satellite channel in the country. So I feel the acceptance needs to be there in a wider space; everyone needs to support and promote this acceptance, and it can’t be just a mouth survey. There is a resistance from within the system itself. Therefore, all those policies need to be questioned. And for you to get accepted, the society at large has to support this issue. For even with a film which is such a powerful media, if you can’t reach out to the target audience, how can you be a part of that change?
 
 

	Did you have to think twice before coming out?
 

	Honestly, I have been very open because of my family and friends. The Supreme Court judgement was a step back as I think there are many who tried to come out who will think much more now about it. I have never faced any discrimination, even in my film industry. My parents always taught me to feel proud for being who I am and not to hide my identity. 
	 
	 

	Ultimately it shouldn’t matter that you are gay or bisexual because that is not your only identity. I am gay and am open and proud about it. 
	Then, why do I need to be objectified and put in to a certain bracket? 
	 
	 

	But in a society where you are still not legal, it makes you much more vulnerable to all kinds of orthodox norms. I feel that everyone has the right to protect themselves. Each family comes from a different background and it is not easy to come out in the open with your sexual preferences. The day IPC 377 goes away, many more people will come out, because when you are legally empowered you gain the courage to fight against social norms.
 
 

	When do you think that day would come in India?
 

	I want to try and see positive but I don’t as there is deep silence. It is almost like being ignored and pushed under the carpet.
 
 

	Do you think the portrayal of LGBTQ community in movies at present do justification to the community?
 

	I think there is very little representation and most of it is made in a way that is caricature, and I feel that it is not an ideal representation. It is not just this community, the portrayal of women is also market driven; this is how men wants it to be. Similarly, where minority community and LGBT community are portrayed, it is solely governed by economy. 
	 
	 

	But yes, the way women are portrayed is slowly changing because women are becoming important consumers and that is what is bringing the change. Similarly, I hope that the power of LGBTQ community is realised and more normal representation of the community find place in our media.
 
 

	What is Censor Board’s role in the whole scenario?
 Censor Board and <keyword id="388113" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Central-Board-of-Film-Certification">Central Board of Film Certification</keyword> are largely governed by the central government and the laws. Censor board cannot take a moral stand. And if you make a movie on such themes, it is edited out. Though they were more supportive with My Brother...Nikhil, with I Am, there was furore. 
 

	Do you plan to make more movies based on LGBTQ rights in the near future?
 

	Honestly no. There are two reasons.
 

	1. Finance. It is hard to get someone to finance movies with LGBTQ theme. These movies do not work in the Indian film industry. It is hard to get wider audiences but scenario is changing. The industry is NOT homophobic, it just doesn’t believe that there’s any money involved in LGBTQ cinema.
 

	2. It does not get the kind of support which it should get from the people. Mentality and laws govern the situation widely. It is still seen to be a topic which should not be discussed. I Am was a national award-winning film but it failed to make an impact at the Box Office.
 
 

	Are your movies judged differently because of your sexuality?
 

	The industry has been very supportive, and it does not treat my movies differently. But yes, there are orthodox people who become conscious and judge the movies in a negative way. 
 
 Talking about <keyword id="2929078" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="legal-gay-marriage">legal gay marriage</keyword>, do you have any marriage plans in the near future? 

	Frankly, No. I am not a person who believes in the institution of marriage, an institution that has done so much harm to man-woman rights and their lives.

	 
	 
	(photo credit: Francois Matthys)

I am gay and proud of it: Onir

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48112317.cms" /> <keyword id="2411684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bajrangi-Bhaijaan">Bajrangi Bhaijaan</keyword>, the much-awaited movie of superstar <keyword id="6354583" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Salman-Khan">Salman Khan</keyword> has released today, continuing the age-old tradition of Salman Khan’s movies being released on or around the holy day of Eid al-Fitr. 
 
The movie has created a lot of buzz in the market, ever since Salman’s ‘<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Guess-who-released-Salmans-first-look-in-Bajrangi-Bhaijaan/articleshow/47430828.cms">good friend</a>’ Shah Rukh released the first look. There were some behind the scene <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Being-Salman-Khan-Watch-him-Like-Never-Before/articleshow/47864812.cms">videos</a> released on YouTube, which showed us all a completely different side of Salman Khan. 
 
Both the teaser and trailer of the movie were instant hits, and went viral within minutes of release. However, all that was expected and normal, because of the immense popularity that Salman Khan enjoys amongst all sections, be it youngsters, kids or the experienced lot of the society. 
 
While the expected happened, the unexpected has happened too! Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a movie unlike any of Salman’s other blockbuster releases-the movie has no bare-bodied scenes of Salman Khan, no heavy duty dialogues, and no street fights that shed a lot of blood on senseless issues. 
 
Bajrangi Bhaijaan is made to deliver the message of peace amongst India and Pakistan, and is possibly the first Indian movie that doesn’t show Pakistan in a negative light, because of which Pakistani audience would get to see the best of Salman Khan on their screens. 
 
Salman Khan took to the micro blogging site Twitter to thank the chairman of Pakistan’s censor board, Fakhr-e-Alam, for clearing the release of the movie. Alam has previewed and certified the movie for Pakistan and posted about the same on Twitter, saying that “it is not a negative or anti Pakistan film.” 
 Looks like Salman Khan has finally woken up and smelled the coffee that <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> is changing and focusing more on making sensible movies that depict a message, unlike the many years that nonsense action comedies have ruled the box office. 
 
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeingSalmanKhan/photos/pb.334873533267523.-2207520000.1437128289./883252978429573/?type=3&amp;theater">Image courtesy: Salman Khan Facebook</a>

Why is Bajrangi Bhaijaan unlike every other Salman Khan movie?

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/45954871.cms" /> <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> is known for sticking to and banking on reliable formulas. One such formula that has been working well for the past few years is that of Horrex movies—offering Horror and Sex (much like the term Rom-Com). 
 
Last Friday’s release <keyword id="6613249" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="alone">Alone</keyword> falls in the Horrex category. With the movie Alone, television heartthrob Karan Singh Grover made his debut in Bollywood. He is paired opposite Bengali bombshell <keyword id="8112" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bipasha-Basu">Bipasha Basu</keyword>. 
 
Directed by Bhushan Patel, who has given supernatural hits like 1920: Evil Returns and Ragini MMS 2, Alone was an ambitious project. 
The movie has been much talked about off-screen intimacy between the leading pair, which is also touted to be the reason of Karan Singh Grover’s split with wife Jennifer Winget, whom he had married after his first marriage with actress Shraddha Nigam ended. 
 
Made on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alone_%282015_film%29">budget of Rs 18 crores</a>, Alone has managed to have an average opening at the Indian <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> and <a href="http://www.koimoi.com/box-office/alone-does-decent-business-in-the-opening-weekend-at-the-box-office/">as per Koimoi.com</a> it managed to collect Rs 14 crore in its first weekend. On Monday, the movie managed to <a href="http://www.koimoi.com/box-office/alone-1st-monday-box-office-collections/">pocket another</a> Rs 2.1 crore taking its total collections to Rs 16.1 crore. 
 
While Alone’s business had been better than the other recent Horrex movies starring Bipasha Basu, it still has a long way to go to reach the break even mark. What makes the matters worse is that next week Akshay Kumar starrer Baby and Sonam Kapoor’s Dolly Ki Doli will hit the cinema screens. 
 
Last week, also saw the release of the movie, MSG: Messenger of God. After all the controversy regarding clearing of the movie by the censor board, there are no reports suggesting the collections of this movie. 
 
The other two movies released last week, Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene as well as Crazy Cukkad Family did not manage to draw viewer, hence were a compete washout at the Box Office.

Box Office Collections Of Alone And Party

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/528f77bfeab8ea2b32ba4f15-1200-600/a-touch-of-sin-trailer-2.png?maxX=800" border="0" alt="A Touch of Sin Trailer" width="800" />Screenshot</div></div>
In August, as his controversial <keyword id="681" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="film">film</keyword> "A Touch Of Sin" was receiving plaudits from around the world, Chinese director Jia Zhangke seemed confident that his countrymen would see the film. "The film has been approved by the censor board and we hope it will be released in autumn," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trailer-for-jia-zhangkes-a-touch-of-sin-2013-5">the celebrated filmmaker told the</a> Globe and Mail.
Flash forward to today, however, and that doesn't seem to have materialized.
Writing in The New York Times, <a href="http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/no-release-in-sight-for-film-exploring-chinas-violence/?_r=0">Edward Wong reports that though the film was due to appear</a> in Chinese theatres from November 9, it has yet to materialize. Jia himself told Wong that the situation was "complicated" and "sensitive," and a leaked report from Communist Party's Central Propaganda Bureau suggested Chinese journalists are being ordered to not write about the movie.
Why wouldn't <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> want people to see a film that won plaudits around the world, including best script at Cannes Film Festival (where <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trailer-for-jia-zhangkes-a-touch-of-sin-2013-5">it was also touted as a possible "Golden Palm" winner</a>)? The touchy subject matter seems to be a problem. Watch the trailer below to understand:
<object width="800" height="450"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/sUkFnXd0qHo?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/sUkFnXd0qHo?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="450" width="800" /></object>
The film seems to be based on a number of real events in recent Chinese history, such as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/27/china-bails-deng-yujiao">a 2009 case where a pedicurist</a> killed a local official after he reportedly slapped her in the face with a wad of cash when she refused to sleep with him, and a notorious <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/22/121022fa_fact_osnos">2011 high-speed train accident that killed 40 people</a>. Other parts of the film make references <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/foxconn-says-another-worker-committed-suicide-2012-6">to the suicides at Foxconn factories</a>.
As John Defore <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/a-touch-of-sin-movie-review/2013/11/20/a53ef65c-5070-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html">describes it in the Washington Post</a>, the films deals with the "skyrocketing wealth in China and the desperation ordinary people feel to get their share of it."
That's a touchy subject for Chinese authorities, but it may also be why the film received substantial buzz from the Chinese public <a href="http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTU2NjQ0MDg0.html">after a trailer was uploaded to Youku in the Summer</a>.

This Widely Praised Film Takes A Brutal Look At Life In Modern China - But Chinese Citizens May Never See It

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48467034.cms" /> 
It is 15th of August in 1975; Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay has found its way into the theatres. While the country men have switched on the patriotic mode in them, Bollywood was preparing to redefine the arena of Indian commercial cinema like never before. A film that defines patriotism in a newer way, thrills with its suspense even if you watch it for the zillionth time and shows how a friendship in India thrives has come a long way and it’s now a part of every Indian’s growing-up discourse. 
This Independence Day marks the 40th anniversary of Sholay. Anupama Chopra, the renowned film critic has said in her book ‘Sholay- The Making of a classic’ (Penguin India), “Over the years, Sholay, has transcended its hit-movie status. It is not merely a film, it is the ultimate classic; it is myth.” 
 
While, over the last 40 yrs much has been said and written about the film, we at Business Insider list for you 20 amazing facts you still don’t know about Sholay: 
 
 
1. Sholay is a record breaker in many ways. It is also India’s first 70 mm film, which had stereophonic sound. 
 
2. Amjad Khan’s ‘Kitney aadmi the’ dialogue has become a cult. Yet, Khan was almost rejected because the casting director found that his voice was not ‘powerful enough’. 
 
3. Many things about this movie were real even the bullets in the climax scene. It is said that one spare bullet had nearly missed Amitabh. 
 
4. Gabbar’s gang member Sambha was played by Mac Mohan. Though he has become an indispensible part of the movie, he just has one dialogue in Sholay. 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48467093.cms" /> 
5. Amzad Khan wasn’t the first choice for the role of Gabbar. It was Danny Denzongpa who was supposed to play the role. 
 
6. What DDLJ is to Maratha Mandir, Minerva Theatre of Mumbai is for Sholay. This theatre screened Sholay for 5 years continuously in all three shows of the day. And till 1980, it was a major hit. 
 
7. Sholay has proved this long back that awards don’t determine a movie’s credibility. Though a blockbuster, Sholay had won just one Filmfare award, that too for editing. 
 
8. The movie, after the initial part, is all about Gabbar and his notorious activities. However, in a 204 minute film, Gabbar appears in just 9 scenes. 
 
9. While the official release date was 15th August 1975, the movie was launched on 2nd October in 1973. 
 
10. Estimated at Rs 2 crores, Sholay’s budget over ran to an extra one crore. It took almost two and a half years to complete the movie. 
 
11. Previously, scriptwriters weren’t really paid in Bollywood. Sholay changed everything. It set the scripwriters as real creator of hit movies. 
 
12. Getting requisite permissions had prevented Thakur Saab from being an army officer. The character of Thaakur saab was conceived as a retired army officer. Having not got necessary clearances from the army, the role was changed to a police officer. 
 
13. The role of Jai played by Amitabh Bachchan was initially planned for Shatrughan Sinha. 
 
14. Dharmendra was nursing a deep crush on Hema Malini during the shooting of the film. He wanted to play the role of Thakur initially, but settled for playing Veeru when he realized that the character would be paired against Hema Malini. 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48467103.cms" /> 
 
15. The light boys were bribed by Dharmendra to spoil his scenes with Hema Malini. This led to numerous retakes and Dharmendra’s chance of getting closer to Hema intensified. 
 
16. The original ending of Sholay has Gabbar being killed by Thakur. 
 
 
17. The Censor Board didn’t approve of too much violence in the end. Sholay was made to re-shoot several scenes to get rid of extreme violence. 
 
18. Ramgarh , the village shown in Sholay is actually a town called Ramanagara, which is 50 kms from Bangalore. Since 80s, it came to be called Ramgarh to commemorate the film. 
<ol>
	<li value="19">
		The rocks where the famous scene of Sambha-Gabbar has been shot are known as Sholay rocks and can be seen from the highway. It has become a major tourist attraction soon after the movie.</li>
</ol>
 
20. Who is Gabbar Singh? No, this isnt any fictional character. There was a real life dacoit of the same name in Gwalior area in 1950s. He is infamous for having cut off noses and ears of policemen. 
 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Learn-how-to-market-yourself-by-seeking-inspiration-from-Gabbar/articleshow/47840166.cms">Also Read: Learn how to market yourself by seeking inspiration from ‘Gabbar’</a>

#40YearsOfSholay: 20 fascinating facts you didn’t know about the movie

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46144434.cms" /> Yes, we the global citizens are a sticky lot. We are connected into this big bad world through our smartphones, and we go to Google much more than we go to our spouses, siblings or parents or even friends – for any information. Then there is FB where the family drama is always the staple diet and the projection of pretentious falsehood is much higher than, say, even at weddings. 
 
When did we hear last about Internet being our only hope towards democracy? And, that people on Internet (nee social networking sites, read: trolls) literally live on their FB and twitter handles where they can express freely without any fear? In the world of fake ids and even more fake personalities, Internet has something that concerns all of us. The future of our children is at stake owing to the social networking habits. 
 There was a time when the news made it to the Internet. Today, Internet makes news. How else would a kid in some remote corner in Kerala or Karnataka or even Kashmir be bothered about All India Bakchod aka <keyword id="1875393" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="AIB">AIB</keyword> roast? 
 
Forget Delhi elections, today people are bothered about why AIB was pulled off the Internet and if they can source the footage somehow to understand why such a furore was created around this ‘stand up comedy’ show put up by Bollywood and some of its ‘best’ minds? 
 
The supporters of AIB and those who oppose it can be broadly divided into few categories. There are those who didn’t like the tone and the tenor of the show and said this was BAD! Then there were those who didn’t like it, but wouldn’t oppose it because it managed to offend their regular offenders. Now, further, there are a few people who thought the show was downright ugly, while they stood the neutral ground. It was bad, simple. 
 Where does each one fit in? The question is even trickier to answer unless you understand the impact it has had on children and adults alike. What would you explain to a five year old who wants to know why <keyword id="3778" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karan-Johar">Karan Johar</keyword> didn’t mind being screwed by 10 men? And why Sonam Kapoor didn’t land up on the show for the same reason? And first and foremost, what does ‘Bakchod’ mean? Why is it a bad word? Why were people opposing it? 
 
With our mite, let’s defend our right to get offended, and someone’s right to offend us too. That’s about the grownups, who discuss things like freedom of expression, democracy, free country, free press, free Internet etc. Etc. etc… 
 
But, what really concerns us is where are we headed? Let’s say we even defend it owing to our allegiance towards democracy or even expression. How does a 5 or 10 year old understand it? How do you stop him/her from accessing it on the net and imitating the same tone and tenor, say, with his friends/classmates or relatives? 
 
Would you say it is okay for the grownups to do this, but children shouldn’t be doing it because it’s bad? Do you see the murky lane we have just started treading on? 
 
AIB was a show that was meant to crack some wise jokes. Bollywood and television gives us much more headache than AIB roast, since ages and on a daily basis. But, in those cases, you either have a censor board or an ombudsman whom you can go to. 
 
Internet is a completely unmonitored danger zone where we would have to really monitor our children from perpetrators. How do you save the kids from a perpetrator who makes his way into your living room, laughing along? Will you join him, or stop him? 
 
To say AIB was freedom of expression is half truth. The endgame is near and we know that could be the front we want to believe. But we won’t stand up against it for being deemed ‘primitive’ or ‘archaic’. We fear our modern image, and hence we try all our logic and reasoning to stop our children from following it. 
 
It’s a straight line. If you can discuss the word ‘Bakchod’ with your child without having to cringe at the thought, it would be fine to have such shows on. But, if your child wants to know why someone would ‘jerk off to’ Farida Jalal who is in her 70s, you really have a problem at hand. 
 
It would be integral to our knowledge to understand why it is not needed and why we could have done without it in the first place. Many actors have disassociated themselves from it. It would be better to debate on whether AIB is liberating or simply ranting, for our children’s sake. 
 
They may thank us for it, tomorrow.

AIB: You Have A Right To Offend, But…

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35391764.cms" /> Now that the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls are over, <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> may once again bag the limelight and <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has already churned out a couple of interesting thriller-gangster movies last week. But most of them were eclipsed by the hot Hollywood release, <keyword id="154785" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Godzilla">Godzilla</keyword>. 
 
While Godzilla collected Rs 18 crore nett in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> in just three days and another Rs 5 crore on the first Monday as per industry estimates, all five Bollywood movies released last Friday (May 16) had a slow start at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword> and understandably so. For one, the election euphoria is still running high but most importantly, three of the new releases – <keyword id="2218164" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Xpos">The Xposé</keyword>, <keyword id="2248203" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="D-Gangs-of-Mumbai">D Gangs of Mumbai</keyword> and <keyword id="2248206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="M3-Midsummer-Midnight-Mumbai">M3: Midsummer Midnight Mumbai</keyword> – come with an overdose of vintage masala. Other two of the lot are <keyword id="2248207" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Children-of-War-Nine-Months-to-Freedom">Children of War: Nine Months to Freedom</keyword>, set against the backdrop of <keyword id="73936" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bangladesh-liberation-war">Bangladesh Liberation War</keyword> of 1971, and an animation film for the kids, <keyword id="2248208" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mighty-Raju-Rio-Calling">Mighty Raju – Rio Calling</keyword>, directed by <keyword id="1093861" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajiv-Chilaka">Rajiv Chilaka</keyword> (of Chhota Bheem fame) and <keyword id="2248210" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anirban-Majumdar">Anirban Majumdar</keyword>. 
 
We were particularly intrigued by The Xposé, a <keyword id="2144245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Musical-thriller">musical thriller</keyword> directed by <keyword id="304212" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ananth-Narayan-Mahadevan">Ananth Narayan Mahadevan</keyword> and starring <keyword id="8539" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Himesh-Reshammiya">Himesh Reshammiya</keyword> and <keyword id="1089543" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Yo-Yo-Honey-Singh">Yo Yo Honey Singh</keyword>, along with debutantes <keyword id="90343" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonali-Raut">Sonali Raut</keyword> and <keyword id="1273210" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zoya-Afroz">Zoya Afroz</keyword> (<keyword id="2993" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Miss-India">Miss India</keyword> 2013 second runner-up). This one takes a pseudo-realistic peek at the glitzy <keyword id="2248216" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-of-the-1960s">Bollywood of the 1960s</keyword> – the dazzling era of Hindi movies, glamorous stars and their not-so-well-kept dirty secrets. The fast-paced period drama revolves around the ugly fights between two rival actresses, the shocking murder of one and the subsequent probe carried out by the <keyword id="2248197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ex-cop-turned-actor">ex-cop-turned-actor</keyword> Reshammiya (<keyword id="6354422" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravi-Kumar">Ravi Kumar</keyword>). Star <keyword id="271" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="actor">actor</keyword> <keyword id="16207" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Irrfan-Khan">Irrfan Khan</keyword> also makes a special appearance to assist Himesh Reshammiya in his probe. 
 Although the movie hit about 1,000-plus screens worldwide, business had been slow and debut day collections at the domestic <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> amounted to Rs 2.97 crore nett, as per industry estimates. But the masala entertainer witnessed a decent traction during the first weekend and picked up around Rs 10.97 crore after the first three days. “The Xpose Fri 2.97 cr, Sat 3.43 cr, Sun 4.57 cr. Total: Rs 10.97 cr nett. India biz,” trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted. 
 
Although trade figure puts it to Rs 8.22 crore nett over the first three days, Xposé is a middle-budget movie, costing around Rs 15 crore (production and promotion combined), and according to a statement by producers, they claim to have recovered close to Rs 12.5 crore from the sale of satellite, music, home and overseas video, and other rights, and are profitable post the weekend. This means most of the revenues earned from the theatrical releases will be add to the film’s profit. Collections on the crucial Monday did not disappoint either and stood at around Rs 3.5 crore, as per industry estimates. 
 
Xposé may do even better at the box office, thanks to the thrill factor, although there are too many things happening at the same time and the coherence gets lost, especially in the second half. “It’s a fascinating subject. Right from verbal duels between rivals, to hiring black marketeers to sabotage others’ films, everything has been depicted,” <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Director">director</keyword> <keyword id="68758" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="ananth-mahadevan">Ananth Mahadevan</keyword> told the Times of India (he himself plays a director in the movie). “The audience will have fun guessing which stars have inspired the sequences.” 
 
D Gangs of Mumbai: Uncomfortable truths Directed by <keyword id="826189" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wilfred-Lobo">Wilfred Lobo</keyword> and <keyword id="2248198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajiv-Ranjan-Das">Rajiv Ranjan Das</keyword>, D Gangs of Mumbai is a low-budget crime-thriller that tells the story of two gangsters, <keyword id="169913" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="AVI">Avi</keyword> (<keyword id="3799" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sanjay-Kapoor">Sanjay Kapoor</keyword>) and <keyword id="33379" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shiva">Shiva</keyword> (<keyword id="131513" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aarya-Babbar">Aarya Babbar</keyword>), the chance they get to restart life and the final mess they have to face in order to survive. In other words, D Gangs reminds you of The Great Gatsby, but the box office reception has been extremely poor – around Rs 65 lakh on the opening day and a little over Rs 2 crore after the first three day. And fourth day collection dipped further to a paltry Rs 40 lakh. 
 
<keyword id="914784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="M3">M3</keyword>: Whodunit with a twist <keyword id="16657" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="sara-khan">Sara Khan</keyword> and Paras Chhabra-starrer M3: Midsummer Midnight Mumbai is a romantic thriller directed by <keyword id="1182415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Braj-Bhushan">Braj Bhushan</keyword>. But in spite of funny cops, paranormal touch, ‘hot’ love scenes and unpredictable twists and turns, this flick didn’t sizzle at the domestic box office and managed a paltry Rs 70 lakh on the opening day. Total collections after the first three days amounted to Rs 2.25 crore, again putting a big question mark as to the fate of the movie. First Monday collections were no better and amounted to just Rs 56 lakh. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35391850.cms" /> 
 
<keyword id="2225168" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Children-of-War">Children of War</keyword>: Grim reality 
Mrityunjay Devvrat-directed Children of War was released in India and <keyword id="6354759" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</keyword>, but here it had a problematic start as the censor board asked him to change the film’s original title – <keyword id="1967278" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Bastard-Child">The Bastard Child</keyword> (the original title has been retained outside India). Starring <keyword id="14623" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Raima-Sen">Raima Sen</keyword>, <keyword id="6825" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indraneil-Sengupta">Indraneil Sengupta</keyword>, <keyword id="41577" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Victor-Banerjee">Victor Banerjee</keyword>, <keyword id="10655" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pawan-Malhotra">Pawan Malhotra</keyword> and the late <keyword id="78733" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Farooq-Sheikh">Farooq Sheikh</keyword>, this one is a gory tale of the Bangladesh (former East <keyword id="3001" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pakistan">Pakistan</keyword>) Genocide and the country’s <keyword id="140599" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="war-of-independence">War of Independence</keyword> against Pakistan. The brutality of war and the gruesome reality of the <keyword id="2248225" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rape-camps">rape camps</keyword> will leave one stunned, but what is <keyword id="6357415" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="missing">missing</keyword> is the bigger scenario. Official numbers are yet to turn up, but going by insider information, Children of War has been a <keyword id="2076872" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-bomb">box office bomb</keyword>. 
 In spite of the never-ending box office drought, we are now looking forward to superstar <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>’s <keyword id="1849408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kochadaiiyaan">Kochadaiiyaan</keyword> and debutant <keyword id="133664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tiger-Shroff">Tiger Shroff</keyword>’s <keyword id="1184791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Heropanti">Heropanti</keyword>, to be released on May 23. Both are blockbuster material – exactly the kind Bollywood now badly needs. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

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